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GAME TIME
Morgan State (1-3) and the Yale Bulldogs (0-2, 0-1) will get together for a non-conference matchup on Saturday, Sept. 30. Kickoff is slated for 12 noon at Yale Bowl, Class of 1954 Field in New Haven, Conn. The game will air on ESPN+. The game will also be broadcast by WEAA, 88.9FM.
GAME COVERAGE
ESPN+ will air the game live. Justin Gallanty will call the play-by-play with color analyst Jack Siedlecki.
RADIO: WEAA, 88.9 FM is the flagship station for the Morgan State Bears ... Lamont Germany will call the play-by-play with Renard Stubbs in the booth. The game will be broadcast live on 88.9 FM and streamed on WEAA.org, HSRN.com and on SiriusXM 386 and 988 on the SiriusXMmobile app.
LIVE STATS: www.yalebulldogs.com
SOCIAL NETWORKS
Fans can keep up-to-date with all MSU Athletics via twitter at Twitter.com/MorganStBears and @MorganStateFootball. You can also become a fan of the Bears on Facebook at Facebook.com/MorganStateBears.
TICKETS
Season ticket plans—which include a ticket to all five home games, including homecoming start at only $120. Premium seats and the football/basketball Bear Pass are both now available for purchase by calling 443.885.1522 or visiting MSU Student Center Athletics Ticket Office during business hours (Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), or click 2023 MSU Ticket Information.
THE SERIES
• Saturday, Sept. 30 will mark the second meeting between the teams.
• Yale shutout Morgan 41-0 in 1984.
THE COACHES
• Damon Wilson enters his 2nd season as Morgan's head coach. He previously spent 13 seasons as the head coach at Bowie State University where he achieved three straight Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) conference championship 2010-12.
• Tony Reno enters his 11th season at the helm of the Yale football program in the fall of 2023. Guided the Bulldogs to Ivy League championships in three of the last five seasons (2022, 2019 and 2017). Enters the 2023 season with 60 victories, which is tied for the fifth most in school history
A WIN WOULD ...
... give Damon Wilson his sixth win as MSU's head coach.
... mark the Bears' first win against Yale.
... improve the Bears' record to 1-1 against Yale since 1984.
... mark MSU's second non-conference road win of the season since defeating #16/18 Richmond 24-21 on Sept. 2, 2023.
... snap the Bears' 3-game losing skid.
QUICK HITS
• The 2023 Morgan State Bears will be under the leadership of second year head coach Damon Wilson. Wilson, the 23rd coach in school history, previously served 13 seasons as the head football coach at Bowie State. There, he achieved three straight Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) conference championships, in 2021, 2019 and 2018; five NCAA playoff berths; and three CIAA Coach of the Year honors.
• ODU transfer Dominique Anthony made his first career start for the Bears during their matchup with UAlbany on Saturday. He finished the night by completing 18-of-39 passes for 147 yards, including a 7-yard TD pass to Demier Shipley to trim the Great Danes lead to 10-7 at halftime.
• Despite the loss of All-MEAC RB Alfonzo Graham, the Bears will look for Jabriel Johnson and Norfolk State transfer J.J. Davis and Myles Miree to carry the load this season. Davis leads the Bears with 52 carries for 144 yards (2.8 avg) and Johnson has pounded out 78 yards on 18 carries, including the Bears go-head touchdown to seal the Week 1 win at Richmond.
• The Bears return veteran wideouts Andre Crawley (22 rec., 336 yds, 2 TDs), Daymond "DJ" Hamler (25 rec., 256 yds) and Tyler Wilkins (12 rec., 139 yds, 2 TDs).
• Morgan has a number of offensive lineman as they enter the 2023 season ... The Bears have 19 OL listed on the roster and will be led by veteran All-MEAC G Marvin Atuatasi (6-1, 305) and T Dexter Carr Jr. (6-3, 295).
• DL Elijah Williams, a Preseason All-American, emerged as a force on the defensive line for the Bears last season. The New Jersey product registered 60 total tackles (33 solo, 27 assisted) last season, including a league-high 19.0 tackles for loss (ranks No. 5 in FCS) and nine sacks (T-No. 13 in FCS). He currently has 27 tackles, 8 tackles for loss and 5 sacks.
• DB Jae'Veyon Morton is on the official watch list for the 2023 Black College Football Player of the Year Watchlist, the Black College Football Hall of Fame ... The All-MEAC selection ranks No. 7 in the MEAC in passes defended (4) and has collected an INT in Week 2 at Akron and Week 3 vs. Towson.
• RS Keith Jenkins Jr. was one of the top return specialists in the nation as a freshman last year ... The speedster finished the season with two kickoff returns for touchdowns (T-No. 2 in the FCS) ... he is currently averaging 18.8 yards per kick return (No. 4 in MEAC).
• Senior safety Jordan Toles has been a playmaker for the Bears so far this season. The Baltimore product earned MEAC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance vs. Akron and has also earned MEAC Specialist of the Week after his play against Towson. He currently leads the MEAC with three interceptions.
A GLANCE AT THE BULLDOGS
• Yale finished the 2022 season with an overall mark of 8-2 and went 6-1 in conference play. They capped the season with a 19-14 victory against Harvard to capture their third Ivy championship in the last five seasons.
• Yale was predicted to finish first in the Ivy League Preseason Poll with 122 points. Princeton followed predicted to finish second with 103 points and Penn was picked third with 90 votes.
• Sixteen Bulldogs earned preseason all-conference honors from college football analyst Phil Steele, including offensive lineman Kiran Amegadjie, who was named the preseason offensive player of the year. Amegadjie also has earned preseason All-America recognition, while quarterback Nolan Grooms was named to the preseason Walter Payton Award Watch List.
• Yale QB Nolan Grooms is coming off an outstanding 2022 season that saw him win the Asa S. Bushnell Cup as the Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year. He also earned first team All-Ivy recognition after excelling both with his feet and his arm in helping lead the Bulldogs to an outright Ivy League championship. Grooms finished second in the league in rushing with 726 yards while also throwing for 1,660 yards. He accounted for 20 total touchdowns with 14 through the air and six by way of the ground.
• Senior LB Joseph Vaughn leads the Bulldogs' defense with 22 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble. He finished as Yale's fifth leading tackler in 2022, recording 42.0 tackles (22 solo), six tackles for loss and one sack.
• DB Osize Daniyan has made an impact in the Bulldogs' secondary unit. The first year player has already recorded 15 tackles (10 solo) and a forced fumble in his first two games.
• A wet, windy and dreary day at Yale Bowl, Class of 1954 Field ended in heartbreaking fashion for the Yale football team. Jackson Kennedy's third field goal of the afternoon, a 37-yarder as time expired, lifted Cornell to a 23-21 victory in the Ivy League opener for both teams. Grooms led the Bulldogs with 76 yards rushing on 15 carries. Spencer Alston, an All-Ivy running back in 2021 who missed all of last season with an injury, made his season debut and rushed for 57 yards on eight carries.
• MSU's first game against Yale was in 1984 when the Bulldogs registered a 41-0 shutout of Morgan.
NOTABLE NATIONAL NOTES
Here are a few 2023 FCS national statistics of note on offense, defense and special teams that pertained to the Bears:
• The Bears defense ranks No. 1 in turnovers gained (14), T-No. 5 in interceptions (6) and No. 14 in total defense (286.3), and No. 17 in scoring defense (19.2).
• Graduate DB Jordan Toles ranks T-4 nationally in interceptions (3) and Jae'Veyon Morton is T-No. 7 (2).
• Junior LB Erick Hunter ranks T-No. 29 in tackles for loss (5.5) and T-No. 43 nationally in total tackles (35).
• Junior DE Elijah Williams ranks T-No. 4 in tackles for loss (8.0).
MSU's CONNECTICUT TIES
The Bears' roster has one player from the home state of Connecticut. Graduate student DE Noah Washington is from New Haven and played at Wilbur Cross HS.
A LOOK AHEAD
• Morgan will close out their nonconference schedule when they host the Stony Brook Seawolves for Homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 7. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. and will be broadcast by ESPN+ and WEAA-88.9 FM.
• It will mark the second meeting between Stony Brook and Morgan State.
• The Seawolves held on to a 24-22 win on Nov. 5, 2022 in Stony Brook, N.Y. Angelo Guglielmello made a 37-yard game-ending field goal to give the Stony Brook Seawolves a 24-22 win over the visiting Morgan at LaValle Stadium. Duce Taylor, starting in place of injured Carson Baker for the second straight game, threw a perfect pass to Andre Crawley who raced 57-yards for a touchdown. Taylor was sacked on the ensuing two-point attempt as the Bears held a 22-21 lead with 1:37 remaining. Morgan's defense was led by Erick Hunter and Jordan Toles who had nine tackles apiece. Jae'Veyon Morton added eight tackles and two pass breakups
BEARS OPEN 124th SEASON OF FOOTBALL SINCE 1898
MSU enters its 124th season of football and will open the 2023 campaign under second year head coach Damon Wilson.
PRESEASON PICKED 4TH
Morgan State was picked to finish fourth (4th) in the MEAC standings, according to the poll of the conference head coaches and sports information directors.
North Carolina Central has been picked to defend its MEAC Football Championship as the Eagles topped the league's annual preseason poll for 2023.
PRESEASON ALL-MEAC PLAYERS
Six (6) Bears were named to the MEAC preseason team at the 2023 MEAC Football Press Luncheon in Norfolk, Va. Senior linebacker Lawrence Richardson, senior defensive back Jae'Veyon Morton, junior defensive lineman Elijah Williams, and sophomore return specialist Keith Jenkins Jr. were first-team selections. Senior offensive lineman Marvin Atuatasi and junior linebacker Erick Hunter were second-team picks.
RETURN MEN
The 2023 Morgan State Bears return 16 starters - 8 on offense, 8 on defense and 1 on special teams.
CAMPAIGNING FOR SUCCESS
The Bears enter the 2023 season looking to post their first winning season since going 6-5 in 2009. MSU's 7-6 record in 2014 was vacated.
NON-CONFERENCE PLAY
The Bears will open the 2023 campaign with two of its first three non-conference matchups coming on the road. MSU opens the season at Richmond (Sept. 2), followed by a game at Akron (Sept. 9). The Bears will host Towson (Sept. 16) and Albany (Sept. 23), before traveling to face Yale (Sept. 30). The Bears round out non-conference play when they host Stony Brook (Oct. 7) for homecoming.
BEARS OPEN 48th SEASON IN MEAC
The Bears will open its 48th season in the MEAC when they host Norfolk State for the conference opener on Oct. 8 ... it will also mark Morgan's Homecoming.
• The Bears opened the 2022 MEAC schedule with a 24-21 loss against Norfolk State (Oct. 8) at Hughes Stadium.
• The Bears kicked off its first season in the MEAC in 1971. Morgan State withdrew from the conference at the end of the 1979-80 fiscal year, before returning to the MEAC in 1984.
MSU LEGEND EARL "PAPA BEAR" BANKS
Earl "Papa Bear" Banks was a legendary head coach at Morgan State University,
• In 1960, Banks took over the head coaching position at Morgan State from 2011 Trailblazer Award winner, Edward Hurt.
• In his 14 seasons as head coach, he would lead the Bears to six CIAA titles, one CIAA Northern Division championship and one Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title. Banks had an overall record of 96-31-2 after he retired from coaching 1973 and produced three undefeated seasons from 1965 through 1967.
• He guided Morgan State to four bowl games, winning the 1965 Orange Blossom Classic and the 1966 Tangerine Bowl.
• He was named the American Football Coaches Association's recipient of the 2018 Trailblazer Award. The award was presented, posthumously, at the 2019 AFCA Convention in San Antonio, Texas.
FOLLOW MORGAN STATE ATHLETICS IN CYBERSPACE
There are many ways to keep up with MSU athletics online and on the go:
• Visit www.morganstatebears.com, the official web site of Bears athletics, for news, schedules, stats, bios and more.
• Follow us on social media:
Facebook: /MorganStateBears
Twitter: @MorganStBears
Instagram: /MorganStateBears
ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.
